Air Platforms

HEADLINES

Chinese company Tengoen unveiled a series of armed reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the 14th China–ASEAN Expo in Nanning from 12 to 15 September, including two fixed-wing and two vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs.
One of the platforms displayed in the southern Chinese

The UK Royal Navy (RN) has outlined plans to trial a vertical unmanned aerial system (VUAS) on board a Type 23 frigate in 2018 as part of the UK Rotary-Wing Unmanned Air System Capability Concept Demonstrator (RWUAS CCD) Phase 2 effort.
Speaking at the DSEI in London on 12 September, First Sea Lord

The Republic of Serbia Air Force and Air Defence recently grounded its last operational MiG-29 fighters due to a bird ingestion incident, it was revealed during a session of the security and internal affairs committee of Serbia's National Assembly on 12 September. The nation's quick reaction alert

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired a Patriot surface-to-air missile at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that entered the demilitarized zone on the Syrian-Israeli border on 19 September, IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus stated.
He said the Iranian-made UAV was operated by

Chinese rotary-wing specialist Avicopter, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), unveiled a revised model of its Advanced Heavy Lift (AHL) helicopter concept at the 2017 China Helicopter Exposition, which ran from 14 to 17 September in Tianjin.
Compared to the version

Estonian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) specialist Eli Airborne Solutions has deployed its Drone Nest system in the field.
Speaking to Jane’s at DSEI 2017 in London, a company representative confirmed that Drone Nest is undergoing operational trials with the Estonian Border Guard.
The Drone

A Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) combat aircraft has crashed during operations over Yemen, killing the pilot, the service announced on 14 September.
The undisclosed aircraft type came down in the region of Abyan in southern Yemen due to an unspecified “technical malfunction”, according to

Saab is pitching a dedicated ‘Aggressor’ variant of its Gripen C fighter aircraft for the upcoming UK and US pilot training requirements.
Speaking at the DSEI exhibition in London where the new variant of the multirole fighter was unveiled, the head of Gripen sales and marketing,

Thales is competing to secure additional sales of its Spy'Ranger small unmanned aircraft system (SUAS), as it looks to add to the units it began delivering to France earlier this year.
Speaking at the DSEI exhibition in London, officials said that the electrically powered fixed-wing SUAS was

BAE Systems launched a fifth-generation version of its NAUTIS mine countermeasures (MCM) command-and-control system at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2017 conference in London.
Dubbed NAUTIS 5, the system incorporates a number of new features, including new and improved

Allied armed forces around the world are scrambling to adopt Mode 5 identification friend or foe (IFF) systems, Hensoldt said at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2017 defence exhibition.
This is because the US National Security Agency will stop generating keys for unsecure

Key Points
The RN has deferred a decision to retire its Harpoon anti-ship missiles
The move will partially alleviate a capability gap in RN anti-ship missile capabilities
Boeing Harpoon heavy anti-ship missiles will remain in service on Royal Navy (RN) Type 23 frigates after the UK Ministry of

L3 Technologies has announced the acquisition of US air training services company Doss Aviation.
The purchase of Doss – terms of which were not disclosed – was announced on 14 September. L3 said the company is expected to generate sales of USD50 million this year and will be renamed L3

Lockheed Martin UK unveiled a new canister-launched small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2017.
Known as the Outrider, the 1.7 kg fixed-wing UAV is capable of being launched from submarines, helicopters, ground vehicles, and by dismounted

Fears that Moscow will use its annual ‘Zapad’ exercise to make incursions against the Baltics or Poland – especially in the form of a cyber attack – are overblown, according to NATO sources and Russian strategy experts.
However, the week-long event could be used to

Key Points
The US Marine Corps has developed a small UAV made of 3D printed and COTS parts
The goal is to develop quickly developed and custom UAV solutions for every mission
With a goal of eventually creating customised unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designs for every mission, the US Marine Corps

Images have emerged on Chinese online forums showing a Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-10 aircraft (manufacturer’s designation L-15) featuring the standard camouflage and tail insignia of the People’s Liberation Army Navy Air Force (PLANAF): an indication that a naval variant of the

Key Points
Bell Helicopter is preparing for a ground test of its V-280 tiltrotor prototype
The ground test is an important milestone in an aircraft’s development
Bell Helicopter will soon perform its initial ground run, an important milestone in the development of its V-280 Valor tiltrotor

On 7 September, the government of Croatia approved funding to purchase AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for the Croatian Air Force. The missiles will arm the 16 recently acquired Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters donated to Croatia by the United States.
A down payment for the Hellfires is expected

Chile's state-run shipyard ASMAR is nearing completion of the design and basic engineering of a new icebreaker for the Chilean Navy.
The new Polar PC5 ice-class Antarctic support ship, dubbed Antártica 1 , is intended to replace the Chilean Navy’s Type 1200 survey ship Contre-Almirante